New Gander Mountain CEO promises more guns, better prices

Gander Mountain’s new CEO promised Twitter followers over the weekend a bigger, better gun selection will come to the 70 or so stores slated to remain open after the company’s nationwide liquidation sale.

Marcus Lemonis, who’s company Camping World paid $38 million for Gander Mountain’s intellectual property and store leases in a bankruptcy auction last month, said Saturday the remaining locations will offer customers more firearm selections and better prices.

“It was the biggest category and won’t go away,” he said. “More assortment and better pricing.”

Gander Mountain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in Minnesota court on March 10, indicating its intention to shutter 32 stores in 11 states and liquidate more than $500 million worth of assets.

Camping World, the nation’s largest recreational vehicle dealer, led the investor group that bought out $390 million worth of Gander Mountain assets, including its Overtons boating business, during an April 28 auction. Lemonis said a separate liquidation company bought the store inventory currently on sale across the country.

“My goal is to open at least 70, remain and keep them operating as Gander Mountain, potentially add an Overton’s boating or Camping World to them, and run them and run a good business,” he said earlier this month.

Lemonis said last week he will change the company’s name to Gander Outdoors and offered his Twitter followers $25,000 for the best new logo submission. He said he will continue posting updates about Gander Mountain’s 162 existing locations — including closures — to his Twitter feed, however, “unorthodox” it may seem.

As of Friday, the closures seem focused on southeastern and midwestern locations. A full list can be viewed here.